The Buffalo Sabres will face the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Sabres will host the first two games of the series as the NHL playoffs return to Buffalo for the first time in 15 years.
Buffalo clinched the Atlantic Division after a 5-1 victory at Chicago on Monday night, their first division title since the 2009-10 season and seventh overall. The Sabres became the fifth team in NHL history to clinch a division crown after overcoming a standings deficit of eight or more points. The team finished seventh in the Atlantic Division last season.
Buffalo clinched a playoff spot on April 4. The 14 straight seasons of futility were an NHL record and one of the longest active streaks among the four major North American sports, ranking second behind the NFL’s New York Jets, who last qualified for the playoffs in 2010. The franchise’s previous playoff appearance was in 2011, when it was eliminated by Philadelphia in seven games in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
The Sabres reached 50 wins for the third time in club history, also accomplishing the feat in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
The Sabres and Bruins last played in the playoffs during the 2010 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, which the Bruins won in six games. In four games this season, the Bruins went 3-1-0 against the Sabres.
The NHL has yet to release its playoff schedule.
